I'm just going to assume this is a question and not a push for a blog which I am not clicking

Merlin, first and foremost.. will stay with friends/family. People he knows and places he knows with dogs he knows. My co-workers are some of my closest friends and adore him

backup he stays with his walker in his home with his dogs. While his home isn't familiar to Merlin, it's a home with a dog that he knows and a person he knows. The home environment in itself would make him more comfortable than anything else

backup backup he stays at the place he goes to daycare. This is a LAST RESORT in case of EXTREME emergency/all other plans failing. While I do trust the place he does daycare TOTALLY and know he would have A LOT of fun during the day..
I would worry about how Merlin would do sleeping in a kennel without the kind of personal interaction with people he is used to day after day.

For long stays-longer vacations he would of course stay with his breeder while GETTING him there would be a trip in itself, I trust her to care for him as I would.. and I know he'd love it

I'm just going to assume this is a question and not a push for a blog which I am not clicking

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^ this.

When I'm out of town, I've been having my brother stay at my apartment with the dogs. That way the dogs are in a familiar environment with a familiar person and my rat and hamster are also taken care of.

If that were to fail, backup would be the dogs going to my mom's and someone popping in to care for the rodents every other day.

Backup backup would be to board them at work. But that would totally stress them out, and I highly doubt Cynder would eat while she's there.

Meg stayed with a friend the one time I went away. I haven't left Gusto yet at all. If my parents are home, they would stay home with them. If we are all gone, I have a few people I would ask to house-sit. Gusto could go stay with a few different people as well. Meg's happier at home.

The Dobermans always stay with their breeder. Keira doesn't really enjoy it there (she's beyond overstimulated), but I know they're being taken care of appropriately.

Dance stayed with a chaz member (Zhucca) the first time I went on vacation a couple of years ago, and then this past summer a friend of mine took care of her. She lives with her dogs very similarly to me, and I'm actually pretty sure Dance would trade me in for her haha. She loves her (and her husband) so much. She'll probably always stay with that friend when I go somewhere as long as they're able to take her. If not, I'm not sure where she'd go. She's not the easiest dog to leave always.

I've not taken a vacation since I've had Journey except for the one that I took her with me on. I'd ask my dog friends though (not the one who cares for Dance as that would then be 5 dogs in her house and I'd feel bad) and see if one of them could. Otherwise, I'd honestly probably just opt not to go. I won't leave my dogs in a kennel/daycare/boarding type situation. I would be worried the whole time. I just don't like those situations for leaving my dogs. I wish Journ's breeder was closer, as I wouldn't hesitate to leave her there. But, a 5 hour flight or a several day drive is a tad far.

And if/when I go on a vacation without family, I'd ask my mom to take care of Dance and Journey. She does a great job with them and that would be the most ideal situation for them... but so far, my mom has been along with me on vacations as it's usually family trips we do.

We mostly avoid vacations where the dogs can't come, but when we do it depends.

In the 3 years that I have had Summit I have left him for ONE night on two occasions. In the 1 year that I have had Kili I have left her for ONE night once.

First time was when I had to write my veterinary board exam. It was in a city about 45 minutes away but I didn't want to have to drive there in the morning because I was afraid I'd get lost and be late. Summit stayed home with my BF. I fed him and walked him before I left that night and gave BF instructions for walking/feeding him in the morning, and I was home by dinner.

This past weekend a good friend of mine got married 2.5 hours away. BF was out of town as well. Thought about taking the dogs and day care/boarding them for the day/night. Then instead just asked one of my technicians to stay at my house overnight.

In January I have to leave them for a whole week! Brother-in-law is getting married in Mexico. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Chances are the dogs will board at my friend's kennel. She used to be one of our technicians and she has a whippet so I'd feel good about that.

Honestly vacations without dogs are rarely that fun for us, hell we took the girls to Alaska with us. That said we will be hard pressed anymore, my two mal approved dog sitters are in Vegas. Maybe Phelan will be easier than B and S, who knows.

this makes me feel like a bad person..
because I can't imagine taking a relaxing vacation WITH merlin.
Not that he is high maintenance or hard to take care of at all, because he's not and he adjusts very well to most places when I do take him on trips..

I just go on vacations to abandon all responsibilities and as much as I love him..he's a responsibility. It's like bringing a kid along, of course they add to the fun sometimes but sometimes you just wanna sleep til 3 PM and party til 4 AM and drink at the pool and not care about anything except when the spa opens.

this makes me feel like a bad person..
because I can't imagine taking a relaxing vacation WITH merlin.

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THIS. To me it is not really a vacation if the dogs are there!

That being said, I don't do vacations. On the rare occasion we have gone somewhere other than our cabin, there has been a family member/friend staying behind who has watched them. Juno had to be boarded once 3 years ago, because she was a high maintenance young dog and I didn't want to put that responsibility on my friend who was staying at the house with Lucy - but nowadays that wouldn't be necessary.

There is a special needs type boarding facility here that is worth its weight in gold. It is the only place I would EVER leave Frodo. They are amazing, he loves it there. He probably likes it more than he does here When we get there he runs out into the yard and pretty much yells SEE YA! at me from the other end of the yard Even when I pick him up he is pretty much like "Oh hey! Where ya been? Didja see my cool place here?" It's like his heaven...

I've yet to go somewhere without Siri. She's come camping with me, to Chicago with me, to freaking Pennsylvania with me!

We relax with dogs, I am always on edge without them. We gain pleasure seeing them happy. It's really a to each their own thing. My mom hated vacations sans kids, she loved seeing us enjoy things, but some people love them.